Introduction to Zoological Nomenclature (Part 1). Approximately 1 hour, 38 slides, in English. By Jerry Hooker, Dep't of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
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Hooker taxonomy&nomenclature seminarsection1
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3. CODES Originally two, each ensuring stability of names in the two divisions of life then recognized: Kingdoms PLANTAE and ANIMALIA. Later, the Bacteriological Code split from the Botanical Code and a code of Virus nomenclature was established. NAME STARTING POINTS 1ST CODE ZOOLOGY: 1st Jan. 1758 (Linnaeus) 1961 BOTANY: 1st May 1753 (Linnaeus) 1906 BACTERIOLOGY: 1st Jan. 1980 1958 Athough the first comprehensive international codes long postdated the starting points in binominal nomenclature, their origins go back to Strickland, Darwin, Owen & Westwood (1843) (Zoology) and de Candolle’s Lois of 1867 (Botany).
6. UNACCEPTABLE HOMONYMS Troglodytes Viellot, 1806 Troglodytes É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812 The earlier genus name for the wren is valid. The chimp is changed to the next oldest available name: Pan Oken, 1816.
7. SYNONYMS Law of priority determines that Glis Brisson, 1762 rather than Myoxus Zimmermann, 1780 is the valid genus name for the edible dormouse.
8. BINOMINAL NOMENCLATURE FOR THE SPECIES Extract from Linnaeus (1758) 10th edition of Systema Naturae Vol. 1 Regnum Animale. Genus Vespertilio , with species V. vampyrus , V. spectrum and V. perspicillatus (bats). Pre-Linnaean non-binominal names resembled diagnoses, so separation of the two was a milestone in taxonomy.
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10. SUBSPECIES & SUBGENERA Gemmula (Gemmula) acutisinuata stubbingtonensis (Cossmann, 1899) Troglodytes troglodytes troglodytes (Linnaeus, 1758) Trinominal or quadrinominal names resulting from use of subspecies and/or subgenera do not affect the principle of binominal nomenclature. The nominate subspecies takes its authorship and date from the species. Same procedure with super- and sub- categories of genus and family.
11. RISKS OF INSTABILITY Cuniculus Brisson, 1762 Cuniculus Meyer, 1790 Oryctolagus Lilljeborg, 1874 If Brisson (1762) is unavailable through being inconsistently binominal, the replacement name Agouti Lacépède, 1799 must be used. The result is that the established name for the rabbit, Oryctolagus , must be changed to the older name Cuniculus. Paca Rabbit
12. Submissions are made to the ICZN and a vote results in an “Opinion” published in the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. E.g. Opinion 1894 in 1998 ruled that Brisson (1762) should be rejected for nomenclatural purposes because it is not consistently binominal, but that certain genera from that work should be conserved. These included both Cuniculus and Glis . PROBLEMS NOT SOLVED BY THE CODE ALONE
13. SECONDARY HOMONYMY OF SPECIES When Maurimontia was synonymized with Ailuravus , A’s species name had to be changed and became Ailuravus stehlinschaubi Wood, 1976. B. Ailuravus picteti Rütimeyer, 1891 A. Maurimontia picteti Stehlin & Schaub, 1951 If the genus name for Maurimontia picteti had originally been Ailuravus , this would represent primary homonymy.
14. OBJECTIVE SYNONYMS SUBJECTIVE SYNONYMS Platychoerops richardsonii Charlesworth, 1855 Miolophus planiceps Owen, 1865 based on same type specimen. Cebochoerus minor Gervais, 1876 based on different type specimens. Cebochoerus helveticus (Pictet & Humbert,1869)
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16. VALID NAME A VALID NAME is an available name that is: The correct name in an author’s taxonomic judgement (i.e. not a junior synonym or a junior homonym), so long as it is code-compliant. A name that does not fulfill the criteria necessary to be an available name is: A NOMEN NUDUM
17. NOMEN OBLITUM NOMEN DUBIUM A name of unknown or doubtful application. E.g. if the type is lost or indeterminate. Names in common use that turn out to be nomina dubia require a Neotype. Others are best ignored and if unused since 1899 a nomen dubium can become a: if applied from 2000 onwards. A younger homonym or synonym takes precedence, but a nomen oblitum remains an available name.
23. TYPE ACTIONS HOLOTYPE +/- PARATYPE(S) = stability SYNTYPES = potential instability LECTOTYPE +/- PARALECTOTYPES = stability If loss of primary type(s) means confusion: NEOTYPE
24. RECOGNIZING TYPES You can’t necessarily rely on a statement in a publication or on a label that a given specimen is a type. E.g. All specimens in Paris figured by Cuvier in Ossemens Fossiles are labelled “TYPE”. Some are, but can only be recognized by reference to articles in the Code & the relevant publications.
25. SCOPE OF SYNTYPES: WIDE Depéret (1906) named Catodontherium robiacense from the localities Robiac & Mormont. The only specimens he mentioned were from Mormont previously fig’d by Pictet & Humbert under another name. Sudre (1969) selected a LECTOTYPE from Robiac that had never been figured but was assumed to have been seen by Depéret when he named the taxon. Depéret’s syntypes included all the specimens that he could have used to found his species. Pictet & Humbert 1869 Sudre 1969
26. LOST TYPES Lophiotherium siderolithicum (Pictet, 1857) Holotype by monotypy MISSING. L. siderolithicum from same horizon & locality as holotype: Topotype - potential neotype, but neotype designation unnecessary as figure of the holotype is adequate and consistent with existing topotypes.
27. HONEST COMPOSITES The Syntype feet above are all composites according to the author, so each bone is a separate specimen. Multiple taxa are involved so one bone needs to be selected as Lectotype to stabilize the species. Eurytherium latipes Gervais, 1852
28. CLANDESTINE COMPOSITES Owen’s fig.8 of one of his apparent Syntypes of Thylacinus major appears to be a chimaera, with characters of the genera Thylacinus and Sarcophilus . Examination of specimens studied by Owen shows that the outline of specimen “B” matches cracks in the drawing. Fig.8 is therefore a composite drawing of teeth of Sarcophilus (like A), a fragment of Thylacinus jaw (B), & probably a modern Thylacinus jaw. B is the Syntype as the “teeth” specimen cannot be recognised. A B 8 Owen (1877)
29. HOLOTYPE OR SYNTYPES? The dispersed skeleton on the slab is holotype by monotypy. Lectotype selection is invalid if only 1 individual in total. “ Lectotype”
30. TYPES & VARIATION Treposciurus mutabilis Schmidt-Kittler, 1970 Treposciurus gardneri Hooker, 1991 Treposciurus preecei Hooker, 1986 Variant like T. gardneri Variant like T. mutabilis T. preecei based on designated syntypes to reflect polymorphism and overcome confusion with the other two species.
31. JUSTIFIED SUBSEQUENT EMENDATIONS Microchoerus wardi named after 2 people. Emended to M. wardorum . Plesiarctomys hurzeleri named after Hürzeler. Emended to P. huerzeleri as named before 1985.
32. CONCORDANCE OF ADJECTIVAL SPECIES NAMES WITH THE GENUS Palaeotherium min us Cuvier, 1804 [neuter genus] Recombined as: Plagiolophus min or (Cuvier, 1804) [masculine genus]
33. HYPHEN IN SPECIES NAME BANNED except: “ If the first element is a Latin letter used to denote descriptively a character of the taxon..” E.g. white letter hairstreak - Strymonidia w-album .
34. DOMESTICATED ANIMALS Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 Domestic horse Equus ferus Boddaert, 1785 Wild horse Wild and domesticated equivalents do not enter into synonymy. This is to avoid a domestic form taking priority over a wild form as would be the case here.
35. ICHNOTAXA Ophiomorpha Callianassa E.g. The ichnogenus Ophiomorpha is regarded as the fossil burrow of the ghost shrimp Callianassa , but the names are not synonyms . 1. Ichnotaxa must always be fossil. 2. Homonymy with animals is not allowed. 3. An ichnotaxon does not compete in priority with a name established for an animal. 4. When establishing an ichnotaxon, the new name is followed by e.g. igen. et isp. nov., rather than gen. et sp. nov.